Wisconsin SPDG IHE Mini grant abstracts for OSEP mtg

Silver Lake College of the Holy Family SLC, Manitowoc, WI Viterbo College CESA 7 Teacher Development Center, Alternative Licensure Program UW-Eau Claire Interdisciplinary Training for P

Wisconsin SPDG IHE Mini-Grant Initiative

The IHE Mini-Grant Initiative was launched at the 2010 Summer Institute, creating opportunities for any 2 or 4 year, public or private IHE or alternative program with

participants at a Summer Institute (2010 and 2011), to apply for a mini-grant The

purpose of the mini-grants is to seed good ideas and innovation toward the emergent areas of practices:

 measuring and raising academic achievement of all learners

 reducing special education referrals through universally accessible and differentiated instruction,

 developing collaborative teaching and learning partnerships, and

 reducing over-identification of students of color through culturally responsive and relevant pedagogy

Members of the IHE Leadership Hub reviewed the applications and made

recommendations to DPI In the first year of the initiative, seventeen mini-grants were awarded up to $5,000 for a time period beginning August 1, 2010 A second round of mini-grants was funded for a time period of July 1, 2011-June 30, 2012, with award amounts up to $10,000 Sixteen awards were made, including 3 new mini-grants, and

13 continuing projects that demonstrated promising results after the first year Three projects funded in the first year did not continue into the second year for a variety of reasons

Successful applicants for 2011-2012 funding include: ( =new)

UW-Eau Claire UW-La Crosse UW-Milwaukee UW-Oshkosh UW-River Falls UW-Stevens Point and Mid-State Technical College UW-Whitewater and Waukesha County Technical College

Carroll University Concordia University Wisconsin

Edgewood College Maranatha Baptist Bible College Mount Mary College, Milwaukee

Silver Lake College of the Holy Family (SLC), Manitowoc, WI

Viterbo College CESA 7 Teacher Development Center, Alternative Licensure Program

UW-Eau Claire

Interdisciplinary Training for Pre-service Educators: Building Purposeful RtI Field

Experiences into the Curriculum

General and special education are moving away from the traditional refer-test-place model to one that emphasizes evidence-based instruction and intervention,

implementation fidelity, ongoing formative evaluation, and accountability This new model, often referred to as Response to Intervention (RtI), requires educational staff to

be proficient with meaningful assessment and evidence-based intervention

Unfortunately, these skills have not been traditionally expected of school personnel (Barnett, Daly, Jones, & Lentz, 2004) Several researchers have suggested that

inadequate training at the pre-service level, including limited meaningful practical

experiences, is a primary problem associated with implementation of RtI (Hawkins, Kroeger, Musti-Roa, Barnett, & Ward, 2008)

The primary goal of this project is to train pre-service educators in school psychology, special education, and general education to effectively engage in interdisciplinary RtI activities including universal screening, Tier II intervention development and

implementation, and ongoing progress monitoring of at-risk students The project will emphasize a model to train pre-service educators that involves ongoing performance feedback Expected outcomes for pre-service educators include highly competent clinical skills related to curriculum based measurement, data analysis and reporting, intervention development and implementation, interdisciplinary teaming, and program evaluation Pre-service educators will be evaluated using the following methods: inter-rater reliability, written assessment plans for individual at-risk elementary-aged students, treatment integrity checks, professional practice portfolios (e.g., individual elementary-aged student outcome data, case notes, problem solving rubrics), and supervisor

evaluations

The project partners with three elementary schools in the Eau Claire Area School

District to assist in the collection of academic benchmark data and implementation of Tier II academic interventions A primary goal of the project is to develop an

interdisciplinary field experience for pre-service educators from school psychology, special education, and general education than can be embedded in each program's curriculum

Contact: Michael Alexrod, PhD, AXELROMI@uwec.edu

UW-La Crosse

Preparing Inclusive Professional Education Candidates via Response to Intervention (RtI), Positive Behavior Intervention Systems (PBIS), Differentiated Instruction, and Professional Learning Communities (PLC)

The 2010-2011 SPDG-DPI mini-grant team provided preliminary background training on RtI and differentiated instruction Data collected as part of the grant provided information

on faculty's perceived knowledge of RtI, differentiated instruction and PLCs as well as how to implement all three of these into the curriculum This data provides the

groundwork for the next step in this year's grant proposal focused on the development and implementation of differentiated instruction and RtI through a PLC philosophy The 2011-2012 SPDG mini-grant project will afford UW-L faculty knowledge and skills to better understand and teach PLC, differentiated instruction, and RtI in all content areas and developmental ranges To accomplish this, we intend to continue professional training on these three key topics Professional training will reach all UW-LaCrosse School of Education faculty Professional training will be multiple workshops (1/2 and full day) to assist the faculty in creating new pilot curriculum The new pilot curriculum will

be a culturally responsive curriculum that infuses differentiated instructional strategies and RtI into all education courses, so that teacher candidates are better prepared to support ALL learners by creating academically responsive classroom environments School of Education faculty will function as PLCs at various levels (program,

department, School of Education) levels The ongoing professional training will facilitate the PLC development, which in turn, facilitates the pilot curriculum development This grant is an extension of the 2010-2011 SPDG-DPI mini-grant

The Grant Team has identified four goals:

1 study PLCs (Summer 2011)

2 implement professional development in PLC, differentiated instruction, and RTI (fall-spring 2011-2012)

3 implement PLC philosophy within the IHE setting (fall-spring 2011-2012)

4 develop PLC philosophy within all developmental range program curricula

a teach PLC, RtI, differentiated instruction, and PBIS concepts within academic classes

b implement PLC within field experiences

This year's focus is the development of a PLC that will analyze assessment data and collectively research differentiated instruction and RtI for university course instruction The PLC will be comprised of the grant team, additional SOE faculty, and PK-12

consultants who will meet through the 2011-2012 academic year to discuss research-based instructional practice The grant team expects to create an integrated curriculum based on a PLC philosophy

The grant team will focus on the implementation and assessment of a PLC philosophy using differentiated instruction and RtI across all teacher education programs at UW-L

PLCs, differentiated instruction, and RtI will provide a structure for course and program modifications that focuses on candidate and PK-12 student success

The core investigators and their respective departments and specialties include:

Department of Educational Studies:

Carol Angell, Project Director, Special Education

Barb Gander, Early Childhood Education

Bob Krajewski, Educational Leadership Specialist

Joyce Shanks, Curriculum Specialist

Department of Mathematics:

Jennifer Kosiak, Secondary Teacher Education Preparation Coordinator

Jenni McCool, Mathematics Education

Department of Psychology

Rob Dixon, School Psychology

Contact: Carol Angell, Ph.D cangell@uwlax.edu

UW-Milwaukee

Faculty Development and the Creation of a Cross-disciplinary, Case-based Course in RtI and PBIS for Pre-service Teachers and Administrators

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has a long history of commitment to the

Milwaukee Public Schools that includes preparing and retaining teachers able to teach effectively in urban classrooms with low-income, racial, and ethnic minority students Our urban mission demands that faculty engage in professional development around RtI and PBIS in order to include these frameworks into our teacher education,

administrative, and Master's degree program Through this grant, faculty will:

1 Create a cross-disciplinary course within the UW-Milwaukee School of Education that offers pre-service teachers and administrators an authentic problem solving opportunity focused on the implementation of RtI and PBIS

2 Offer faculty professional development to provide greater understanding of the rationale, research base, implementation, and challenges associated with RtI and PBIS

We recognize the first goal is predicated on the second, but the primary outcome is to cultivate faculty expertise and, in turn, create a cadre of school-based personnel

prepared to collaboratively problem-solve the issues facing local schools struggling to implement the RtI and PBIS frameworks Teacher- and administrator-candidate learning will be evident through the inclusion of appropriate artifacts in their culminating, exit

portfolios A secondary outcome is that faculty will infuse their new knowledge of RtI and PBIS into existing program offerings

During the course of the grant, representatives from the Departments of Administrative Leadership, Curriculum and Instruction, and Exceptional Education will collaborate with UWM's Council on Professional Education (CPE), the Wisconsin PBIS Network, and Center for Behavioral Education and Research at the University of Connecticut Faculty members will engage in professional development that will assist in the creation and development of an interdisciplinary course around RtI and PBIS that will be offered during the 2012-2013 school year

Contact: Leigh E Wallace, PhD, lwallace@uwm.edu

UW-Oshkosh

Preparing Pre-service Teachers and School Administrators to Support All Learners

The primary goal of the project is to further develop and expand the collaborative

teaching and learning partnerships established the previous year within the College of Education and Human Services and broaden the base of collaboration The purpose of this expansion is to help those involved prepare pre-service teachers and school

administrators who support ALL learners

The strong movement in our country and state toward the use of culturally responsive educational practices necessitate greater understanding of the academic and behavioral components of RtI This shift in educational practice requires deeper understanding and practical application of evidence-based practice, progress monitoring, and collaboration

To ensure more permanent change in our institution's programs, individuals from the Departments of Curriculum & Instruction, Educational Leadership, and Special

Education will work collaboratively to ensure that our teacher and administrative

candidates leave us with a thorough understanding of RtI and its associated practices Toward this goal, the following steps are planned:

 Syllabus changes will be made in two courses, one in special education and one in general education, to enhance the focus on RtI for both sets of pre-service teachers

 The Planting the Seeds of Inclusion conference will have dedicated strands for administrators in addition to the strands addressing RtI for pre-service and in-service teachers

 Changes will be made in the principal certificate course syllabi to reflect the increased emphasis on PBIS and RtI

 The Special Education Director/Pupil Services licensure program proposal will be developed and submitted to the Department of Public Instruction Elements of PBIS and RtI will be incorporated into this new program

Contacts: Stacey N Skoning, PhD, skonings@uwosh.edu Karen Gibson, PhD,

gibsonk@uwosh.edu

UW-River Falls

A University-Wide, Professional Development Initiative Pertaining to Differentiated Instruction & Universal Design for Learning

The purpose of the current project is to apply and to extend the lessons learned from the first year of the project through collaborative partnerships and continuing

professional development offerings in the areas of differentiated instruction (DI) and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) This project emphasizes the actual

implementation of collaborative teaching and modeling of inclusion, DI, UDL, and

culturally-responsive pedagogical practices (CRP) through the Block II seminar and field-based experiences facilitated by the UWRF Teacher Education Department and special education faculty Pre-service teachers are experiencing first-hand collaborative and inclusive teaching principles and receiving supervision and coaching in their efforts

to apply these principles in their emerging practice Additionally, continuing professional development in the area of positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) and CRP is taking place to compliment the academic focus of the other emphases (i.e DI & UDL) associated with the project The goal is to enhance the capacity of faculty

members, students, and cooperating professionals to prepare ALL educators for ALL learners, particularly in their abilities to connect research to practice In this regard, the aim is for these practices to trickle down to the classrooms in which pre-service

teachers will eventually serve Principal Investigators are Satomi K Shinde, Todd A Savage, Michael D Harris, Teresa Kruizenga, and Brenda Wright, College of Education and Professional Studies

Contact: Satomi K Shinde, PhD, satomi.shinde@uwrf.edu

UW-Stevens Point and Mid-State Technical College

Collaborative Preparation of Early Childhood Education Undergraduates

The purpose of this grant is to utilize the expertise of all undergraduate students in pre-service programs at Mid-State Technical College (MSTC) and the University of

Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UWSP) Early Childhood Education programs From our previous grant, we learned that UWSP students need direct instruction in coaching

provided by April Hartjes of MSTC We are planning to have the direct instruction in the fall and the experiential aspect of coaching in the spring We also learned from the 2010-2011 grant that there are scheduling constraints and joint sessions were not possible Thus, the sharing of professors to disseminate the content seems the most likely solution There is a possibility that the format at MSTC early childhood program may change to a more typical semester At this point, it is felt that that sharing of

professors would allow the most flexibility Dr Caro of UWSP will be presenting on the CSFEL and PBIS models to educate MSTC students about implementation of these models and potentially their role in each

Contact: Patricia Caro, PhD pcaro@uwsp.edu and April Hartjes, MS

april.hartjes@mstc.edu

UW-Whitewater and Waukesha County Technical College

Collaborative Consultation in Action

The focus of the “Collaborative Consultation in Action” project is to implement a

consultative functional intervention model that three faculty members from the

University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (UWW) and Waukesha County Technical College (WCTC) developed The purpose of the project is two-fold First, we train college students in Early Childhood Education (ECE), Special Education (ECSE), and

Speech/Language Pathology (SLP) in acquiring knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary for engaging in collaborative consultation in early childhood settings After students join a consultation team during a field placement, they build relationships, gather information, identify functional goals and strategies, implement strategies, and evaluate outcomes Second, we field-test functional intervention approaches using collaborative consultation at four childcare centers So far we learned that early

childhood education and care providers are dedicated to supporting children with

disabilities in their programs However, they need more effective consultative supports from special education teams This year we continue to work with professionals as they implement a consultation process and seek their feedback about the efficacy of

collaborative consultation approaches and the likelihood that they will continue to use this model into the future

Contact: Simone DeVore, PhD, devores@uww.edu & Joan Hadar, MS,

jhader@wctc.edu

Carroll University

Innovative Approaches to Developing a Special Education Major and Certification

Program

Carroll University Teacher Education Program through the Wisconsin DPI State

Personnel Development Grant is developing a Special Education major and

certification This work will address innovative approaches, at the course level, through team teaching, collaboration and building partnerships that support pre-service and in-service teacher's preparation to challenge all students to excel within the general

education curriculum, including students with disabilities

The expected accomplishments of this project will be the implementation of an

innovative Elementary Education/ Special Education dual major and a Special

Education Certification at Carroll University beginning in the fall of 2012 The goals of the grant include:

 Development of a Special Education certification to enhance the Teacher Education Program while addressing a high societal need

 Development of a dual major (Elementary Education/ Special Education) by offering methods courses which are team taught by General and Special Education Faculty

 Strengthen and model systemic collaboration with Technical College

Partners with existing articulation agreements in the second year of this work to solidify current 2+2 agreements to include Special Education, which benefits the two year institutions, Carroll University and provides future sustainability

 Design assessment instrument(s) for the major and certification linked to departmental, university, Department of Public Instruction and the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) criteria

Contact: Kathrine Kramer, PhD, kkramer@carrollu.edu

Concordia University Wisconsin

Active Coaching in Education (ACE): A Collaborative Approach to Increase Achievement for All Students in Urban Schools

ACE is an active coaching model in the classroom that was developed to increase achievement for all students in urban schools Feedback needs to be immediate,

constant, and specific ACE meets these concerns This includes coaching students to implement primary, secondary, and tertiary interventions for academic and behavior needs in the inclusive, diverse classroom Measurable changes that will be evident in phase two is more teachers utilizing ACE, which means improved teaching practices

and interventions at all three Response to Intervention (RTI) tiers in inclusive urban classrooms Culturally Responsive Teaching, High Quality Instruction, Differentiation, Core Academic, and Behavioral Instruction are the coaching categories that were developed based on RTI Teacher instruction improves for all students and specific special education and/or cultural needs are immediately implemented Partnering with

Dr Linda Hensel, the director of special education at Concordia University Wisconsin strengthens ACE Her expertise assists students in real time as they experience the challenges of full inclusion We selected this project because of its link to 21st century skills, the urban education nexus to special education, RTI focus, and the enormous impact on student learning

Contact: Steve W Gerner, Ed.D steven.gerner@cuw.edu

Edgewood College

Evidence Based Practices in Teacher Education

Based at Edgewood College, in Madison, WI, this minigrant supports professors in their work as they attend staff development sessions and develop action plans to improve syllabi and courses to better prepare teacher education candidates for meeting the needs of all learners This is primarily done through the lenses of universal design and differentiation of instruction In the future with additional funding, expansive partnership with the local K-12 system will allow this team to implement the new strategies and to measure the successes in formative and summative formats

Edgewood College

Contact: Tom Holub, PhD, tholub@edgewood.edu

Collaborative of Scholars

Funds from this source have supported the creation of a website that promotes

collaboration between IHEs across the State of Wisconsin The collaborative

encourages professors to share areas of expertise with sister schools Funds support the travel expenses for these volunteer participants In the future, with additional

funding, the Collaborative of Scholars anticipates hosting lecture forums and to extend into inviting scholars outside of the state to come to Wisconsin campuses

Partners include Edgewood College http://education.edgewood.edu/index.html, Silver Lake College http://www.sl.edu/edu/default.asp, Carroll University and the Wisconsin Foundation for Independent Colleges http://www.wficweb.org/

Contact: Tom Holub, PhD, tholub@edgewood.edu Edgewood College

Maranatha Baptist Bible College

Collaboration and Resource Project Phase II – SPDG IHE Mini-Grant 20011-2012

The first year SPDG Mini-Grant goals were met We were able to start our collaboration efforts with two Education Summits both featuring local public school district speakers Their topics were Inclusion and Response to intervention (RtI) Our Teacher Education Department (TED) faculty and students gave positive feedback regarding what had been learned Course syllabi have been enhanced with the addition of more purposeful instruction on inclusion and RtI Resources on these topics have been purchased to aid instruction

The first year informed our second year grant goals by giving us renewed vigor for expanding collaboration between our faculty, students, and local school district What

we have already accomplished in the classroom and with other educators outside of our college was a success which is leading to greater collaboration and a higher level of learning in knowledge, skills, and dispositions regarding inclusion, RtI, and

Differentiated Instruction Our students have already mentioned that they have been able to successfully address DI and RtI questions in job interviews They have

expressed confidence in pre –service clinical experiences while working with K-12 students with special needs

The Phase II Collaboration and Resource Project states three objectives

1 To engage and collaborate with local school districts regarding the training

of pre-service teachers and Maranatha faculty regarding RtI/PBIS, inclusion, and Differentiated Instruction

2 To purchase resources regarding RtI/PBIS, inclusion, and DI

3 To effect course content involving pre service teacher training in inclusion, RtI/PBIS, and Differentiated Instruction

The Teacher Education Department has already hosted (10/10/11) an Education

Summit regarding PBIS Seven local school district personnel, representing three local school district, attended along with our faculty and a large number of our TED students

A Watertown school District representative spoke for 45 minutes on PBIS We then broke up into four focus groups with two district representatives facilitating each group regarding PBIS in their districts Each facilitator was given discussion topics ahead of time The collaboration between students, faculty, and district personnel was

outstanding District representatives collaborated well with each other and the

interaction produced a wealth of notes from our designated recorders The exit surveys were very positive The notes were organized and sent to our faculty and district

participants Student feedback was very positive

Contact: Dave Handyside, ME, David.Handyside@mbbc.edu